The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-12

grasses for cattle and sheep. The in
crease OF population in Tennessee,
Alabama and Mississippi, as stated, is
the natural increase over the death
rate. and is therefore all the more
gratifying, as II is paralleled by few, il
any, OF the Northern or Western
States. The population of States like
Kanias and Minnesota, are mainly
made up ef immigrants. As to the
decrease OF the population
OF Memphis, on which Mr.. LIS Vert
lays great stress, that Ia due TO the
three yellow fever epidemics that in
1873, 1873 and 1879 killed over 10000
persons outright and drove away near.
ly twice as many more. Vicksburg's
deere 10 is due to the same cause and
to the closing Of her hsrbor. As to
Mobile, Ii has never recovered from
the effects Of the civil war, but what
it hes lost, Birmingham, Selma and
Montgomery more than make up for
ten times told. The growth OF the
North western cities mentioned by Ls
Vert, between 1870 and 1880, is not
half their increase since. 1t Is due
TO the immigration the APPEAL has
vainly invited, the European immi'
grafton that is controlled by the agents
OF these Western States in Europe and
at Castle Garden. As to the Lamar
interview, the Secretary has repudiat-
ed 1t. But even though 1t were true the
figures OF the census and Of the relia-
BILE trades journals are all sgsintt
1t and reiute 1t. That interview
is all wrong, except what is said
about the dilapidsted condition OF
many Of the Southern towns. The
figures es to the improved farms
are exceedingly crGditsble to Ala
bama, Arkansas, Tennessee aud Mis-.
sissippi. From 1850 to 1865 they
were the theaters Of q decimating
and destructive civil war, from which
their rscuperation was slow, owing to
reconstruction, which lasted from 1885
to 1873, and was IL Alabama and Mis-
siasippi nearly as injurious as the war.
To contrast their growth with that Of
Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa. Illinois and
Indiana, is a fine example Of the
speciousness that runs all
through a paper that II printed
In Western paper would deter intel
ligent men from even thinking Of en-
igratiug to TENNESSEE, Alabama or
Mississippi. Nothing succeeds like
euccesa The bright, alsrt people Of
the West would not consider those
States even for q moment, painted a.
they are by Mr., LIE Vert, who 10 q
glib and unreliable in his use Of fig
ures as he is In the use Of words. Blu
Mr.. Ls Vert is not only specious, thai
is, plausible and apparently right, bu
he ia unreliable and Misleading. HI
says:
The annual report of the Commissioner
Of the General Land Once for 1885 gives Ala
bama 80, l62, ll5 acres OF public lands; Missis
sippi, 20, l79 $40 acres; Louisiana, 2S,73l Oh
and Atkan sas 1,4 O,O6}. Kansas Is only ac
credited with having u,T0 $40 acres; Min
nesota, 81, 40 $40 acres; Nebraska. F,0T,
$50" According to this ''Unoe Sam" stl
holds several millions Of acres OF publ
lands In the South.
These figures do not represent tn
public lands for ta'e, but the tota
land surfacs Of the States named, th
whole amount Of land, as the Lam
Commissioner states, surveyed Il
each of them up TO juno 81
1886. In the census report Of 1885,
Arkansas Is set down as hsvin
a to al land gu face Of S3,94S, 800, c
these 12,08l,547 were in cultivate
farms, the percentage of land In farm
to total surface being 35i per cent.
Alabama is set down as having 80
e85 600 acres of land surface, aud {
this 1885, 1884 we're under cultivi
ton, being 81 per cent, OF the whole
Mississippi had land su,f,cs of 20
657 600, OF which 1886, 462 aorcJ wei
under cultivation, being 53i per cen
Of the whole; Tennessee had 26,72s
600 acres Of land surface, Of whiC
20,6s6,9l5 acres were under GUILTY.
,, ton, being n. per cent. Of Il
whole; Kansa, had So, 2sS 900 acres,
land surface, 81, Az, 46s acres OF whiC
were under cultivation, being Al p,
! cent. of the whole; Minnesota hi
@,69l 200 acres total surface, Of whit
B., l3,40S, 009 acres were under cultiv
1 ton, being 26i per cent of the Who'll
Nebraska had 4S,75S,400 acres,
4 which Q 944,S2S acres were under OF
n tivAtion, being 201 per cent. Of Il
i whole. Gen. Francis A, Walker,
the statistics on agriculture, Unit
!, States Genus, 1880, states the who
Q amount Of public lands In the sout
II ern States, surveyed and unsurveye
" to be 1855, 6il acres, and most of Il
/ lie swamp land. II will thus be Sc
Ii that Mr.. LeVert started out with
'e gross error and ended with a RIosi
70 blunder. He had before him ss
ms fixed and determined purpose the .
IS derratiDg Of mississippi, TOnnesI
OF aud Alabama. He stated In his a
W letter that
n. The country tributary 10 Memphis is v
lot large. but 1t 10 neither popuiouI nsr PI
an porous. AiST,SipP,, North Alabaua, v
he Tennessee aud Arkansas are her main o.
he nSrcih feeders. Mississippi has been on
lst decline for twenty-five years. North A
an hAnS, except in Il . development Of her 1
1 - l. la ~